Yes, it's another below zero day in Minnesota, still I love this picture. This visual calls out to me....begging for a book to be read. Whether it is an ocean-front or fireplace--there is always comfort to be gained while we are in the wait for our prodigals to come home.

A few years back, as I was learning to let go of my son (so God could put his arms around him) I spent the month of May....reading. Each morning, I would get ready for the day, put my youngest son on the school bus, make the beds, run the dishwasher, and load the washing machine with its first load of clothes and I would go to my living room where my stack of books and Bibles waited for me. Turning my favorite CD (Standing on the Promises by the Martins) on low volume....I began my search; my search for peace, for answers, for comfort, for help. Each day, I repeated this same routine and soon, my heart began to feel the comfort I so desperately needed.

Day after day, I read, I highlighted, I journaled. My desperation soon turned to joy and it was on May 28th of that year, that while praying (in my reading/prayer room) that I began to understand that I must let my son go. My first posting, A Gentle Whisper, is an outpouring of this journey.

Listed below are just a few of the books that I have cried over. Hit by a Ton of Bricks, by Dr. John Vawter is an outstanding book about his daughter's journey through herion addiction. Dr. Vawter and his wife are pastors, which brings a special challenge to a family of addiction.

Loving a Prodigal, by H. Norman Wright is a very special book to me. It is the first book I read that month and offered the first sense of hope for this tattered mother. Dr. Wright is a well-published author and psychologist and shares some very practical and meaningful methods to "stand in the gap."

Relief for Hurting Parents by Buddy Scott is a how-to book for parents whose children are still minors. This is a great reference book for parents who are looking for creative and solid parenting techniques--specifically for minor children who are struggling.

It is my hope for you today--that whether it is a beach-side picture, a roaring fireplace, or a comfortable-oversized-couch that calls you to sit and read.....that you would choose just one of these recommended books on parenting...and start your journey. If you have other books that have been meaningful to you as you heal through the journey--please post them. I would love to compile a great list of books that parents can resource. Afterall, it takes great effort to let go--we need all the strength and encouragement we can get! Of course, don't forget to bring your Bible to your side as you read. It is within the living, breathing Word of God that we receive God's light unto our feet. Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine!

Recommended Books on Parenting Teens

Get Out of My Life, but First Could You
Drive Me & Cheryl to the Mall?
Anthony E. Wolf

Hit by a Ton of Bricks
Dr. John Vawter

Loving a Prodigal
H. Norman Wright

Parenting Teens with Love & Logic
Foster W. Cline, Jim Fay

Parents in Pain
John White

Praying the Scriptures for Your Children
Jodie Berndt

Praying Your Prodigal Home
Richard A. Burr

Raising a Modern Day Knight
Robert Lewis

The Hope of a Homecoming
Brendan O’Rourke, Ph.D and
DeEtte Sauer

The Hurting Parent
Margie M. Lewis with Gregg Lewis

The Power of a Praying Parent
Stormie Omartian

Raising Your Spirited Child…
Mary Kuchinka Sheedy

Relief for Hurting Parents
Buddy Scott

Surviving Adolescents: How to Manage and
Let Go of Your 13-18 Year Olds
Thomas W. Phelan

Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers
Michael Riera